Monthly Archives: July 2016

When you don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning,
Act like the sun when it shows up for its life’s work everyday no matter what.

When you feel unappreciated and ignored,
Act like the sun when it comes out and works full time, even on the coldest winter days when no one notices.

When the waves and storms of life threaten to drown out your efforts,
Act like the sun when it struggles and successfully overtakes even the darkest clouds every morning.

When the devil tries to sow the seed of pride and arrogance in your heart, telling you such and such are beneath you,
Act like the sun, which ignores class and wealth, and shines it’s light equally on all.

When you know it’s time to walk away but the cheers and fears keep holding you back,
Act like the sun when it sets every day no matter whose watching.

May God help you to act like the sun, to release your purpose and show up for your life’s work no matter what!

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 21, 2016 For some people, it isn’t a big deal, but for me, it was and still is a huge deal that I met President Obama up close and personal, and he spoke with me. You see, this life is full of struggles and hustles, and a little high here and there is always helpful to help refuel our tank so we can keep going.I was privileged to attend the President’s inaugural ball in January 2013, but there were almost 15,000 other guests at the convention center that day, so meeting him was not even a possibility. My next attempt was in 2014, when I was invited to be a part of the planning meeting for the US-Africa Leaders summit. I was excited about being in the White House for the first time, but a little heart broken that we could only enter the Eisenhower executive office building and their was no POTUS. So you can imagine my excitement when I got an invitation to the first ever White House Eid party (the White House always hosted an annual iftar dinner during Ramadan, but this year an Eid party was hosted for the first time.) Not only was this a dream come true because I had bought my dress with the intention of wearing it to a party at the White House since 2014 even though I didn’t know how I would get invited to one, it was huge because I knew the president would attend and the party was being held inside the East Wing of the White House. I mean, we were going inside the first family’s house!
It was an exciting time yesterday, proof that God listens to every prayer, and a chance to meet so many amazing Muslim-Americans doing wonderful work across the country.

The gathering shattered the myth that Muslim Americans don’t contribute positively to the USA. I saw and spoke with people blazing trails, saw Thomas Jefferson’s Quran, and heard from the President how African slaves were mostly Muslims. Most importantly, it was what I needed to see so I can organize folks even harder so that the evil hater of all things that define me: a Black Immigrant Muslim American Woman doesn’t set foot in the beautiful White House ever! More photos on my Facebook Page.

The video of the President’s full address, and of course, a giggling Tope is below. Enjoy…